Pittsburgh 38 Cleveland State 3
Stottlemyer
Earns 250th Career Win with 38-3 Dismantling of Vikings
PITTSBURGH
— Zach Sheaffer’s
2-0 decision over Rashard Goff in the heavyweight match broke a three-match
losing streak and gave head coach Rande Stottlemyer his 250th
career win as the University of Pittsburgh wrestling team found its way back to
the win column with a 38-3 sinking of Cleveland State.
“We had a pretty good performance to say the least tonight,” said
Stottlemyer. “We really should have won the 10th match as [Alex]
Munoz got out to a great start but just couldn’t finish.”
Sheaffer, now 17-4 on the year, escaped just three seconds into the second frame
and held on in the third, riding the 18th ranked heavyweight in the
country for two straight minutes, capping Pitt’s biggest win since last
season’s 42-0 shutout of Findlay.
Entering the third period scoreless, freshman Chris Albright was able to
rack up two takedowns within a minute span and survive a late reversal as time
ran out in the 125-pound match. Albright’s 4-3 decision put Pitt (3-5, 3-0
EWL) on top 3-0.
Junior Jimmy Conroy broke the floodgates open in the first period with
two takedowns and a near fall, building a 6-2 advantage which included 1:16 of
riding time. In the bottom position to start the second, Conroy wasted no time
in escaping and tallying his third takedown of the match, increasing his lead to
9-2. Three more back points and another takedown in the third period gave the 17th
ranked 133-pounder a 15-4 major decision and Pitt a 7-0 lead.
“We had some really good performances tonight from Ethan [Headlee], [Tyler]
Nauman, Jimmy [Conroy] and [Zach] Sheaffer. Those four guys are really stepping
up in a leadership role for this team.”
Despite falling behind 2-0 just 20 seconds into the first period of the
141-pound match, redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman bounced back and earned
his team-leading ninth fall of the year with 13 seconds remaining in the first
period. Nauman’s fall was his 22nd win of the year, another
team-high for the Middletown, Pa. native.
Senior Mark Powell put Pitt on top 16-0 with his 3-1 decision in a nine
and a half minute marathon match at 149 pounds. Powell and Antonio Nicholson
traded escape points in the second and third periods before forcing overtime.
With 22 seconds left in the second sudden victory period, Powell was able to
maneuver his way into a takedown, ending the longest match of the year for any
Pitt wrestler.
Cleveland State was finally able to stop the Pitt offensive in the 157-pound
match. A late takedown by Corey Carlo knotted the match up at four and called
for a second straight sudden victory ending. Just eight seconds in, Carlo
secured a takedown, winning 6-4 over freshman Alex Munoz.
Sophomore Ethan Headlee continues to chase Nauman for the team lead in
wins and pins. Less than 20 seconds into the second period and working from the
top position, Headlee recorded his 21st win and eighth fall of the
season over Rob Michaels in the 165-pound bout, putting the Panthers up 22-3.
It was all Pitt in the 174-pound match as redshirt A.J. Brentzel
poured it on in his first start of the 2008-09 season. A flurry of scoring in
both the first and second periods gave Brentzel a comfortable 9-3 lead with over
three minutes of riding time heading into the final stanza. He added another
takedown as time ran out, running away with a 14-3 major decision.
Freshman Zac Thomusseit made it two dual wins in a row with his 7-0
shutout over J.T. Miller in the 184-pound contest. Thomusseit tallied a takedown
in each period and tacked on a riding time point for the decision.
The Panthers continue action this weekend with their third match in six days as
they travel to Kent, Ohio for a Saturday night dual with the 24th
ranked Golden Eagles. Match time is set for 7 p.m.
Pitt 38, Cleveland State 3
125 – Chris Albright (Pitt) dec. Jordan Keller (CSU), 4-3
133 – No. 17 Jimmy Conroy (Pitt) maj. dec. Josh Palivoda (CSU), 15-4
141 – No. 10 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) fall Lawrence Cavello (CSU), 2:47
149 – Mark Powell (Pitt) dec. Antonio Nicholson (CSU), 3-1 SV2
157 – Corey Carlo (CSU) dec. Alex Munoz (Pitt), 6-4 SV
165 – Ethan Headlee (Pitt) fall Rob Michaels (CSU), 3:19
174 – A.J. Brentzel (Pitt) maj. dec. Derek Cummins (CSU), 14-3
184 – Zac Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. J.T. Miller (CSU), 7-0
197 –Matt Wilps (Pitt) forfeit
285 – Zach Sheaffer (Pitt) dec. Rashard Goff (CSU), 2-0